Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Tom Hall Carves a Pumpkin

When we looked at beer advertising I mentioned illustrator Tom Hall having done a lot of these Schlitz ads. Here's another one, this time with a Hallowe'en theme.Tom Hall was one the first artists I took notice of when I became interested in 50's illustration - but I was always frustrated that I couldn't find any information on him. Though he was no Robert Fawcett or Austin Briggs, Hall typifies for me the journeyman illustrator who produces reliable, solid commercial art. I've always had a lot of respect for this kind of worthy craftsman, and have always been a little miffed that artists like Hall have gone unrecognized.

Then this ad for Kling Studios of Chicago in a 1952 issue of Art Director and Studio News provided at least a piece of the puzzle.So now we know what Tom Hall looked like, that he was a Chicago illustrator at the massive Kling Studios, and though I was well aware of his advertising work (plenty of which you can find in my Tom Hall Flickr set) its news to me that he did editorial illustration because I've never come across even a single piece.

I wish the folks at Kling had included a little more biographical info in their write-up on Hall, but for now, that information remains a mystery.

I googled them and I see what you mean, pickleshane - its that very standard sort of generic illustration look, isn't it? That's exactly what I'm talking about: not terribly spectacular, but nice solid, well done commercial art that's worth recognizing for the quality of the craftsmanship.

I work for Hart Schaffner & Marx in Chicago. Tom Hall's original artwork is framed around the office. I wish the company could do a collection of his prints because I think the style and humor of his illustrations are really appealing. Thanks for taking note of his talent!